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By Cole Porter, Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. Directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. Until Aug. 18 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W. 416-872-1212

As I sat in the Princess of Wales Theatre watching Anything Goes on Thursday night, with a rapturous grin gradually spreading across my face, I decided that every musical ought to have three things:

1. Cole Porter

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2. Rachel York

3. Kathleen Marshall

I know that all musicals aren’t so blessed, but let’s celebrate the treasure trove of delights currently available to us, thanks to the Roundabout Theatre Company and Mirvish Productions.

When the orchestra under Jay Alger zipped through an assortment of gold-plated tunes in the overture including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Easy to Love” and the title song, you realize the joy that comes from hearing a classic score presented in a classy manner.

I love the fact that this production knows when to “goose” a Porter favourite in just the right way (listen for the clever modulations and tempo changes after every chorus of “You’re the Top”) and when to leave it just as the man wrote it (no attempt to modernize all the topical references in any of the numbers).

Of course it helps if you have that va-va-voom valkyrie, Rachel York, to belt the numbers out, with a purity of tone and sharpness of delivery that make each song a cause for celebration.

And no offense to Ethel Merman, who originated the role nearly 80 years ago, but I’m sure she didn’t look as delectably slinky as York does in the dishy gowns designed by the late, great Martin Pakledinaz. If you haven’t guessed already, let me paraphrase another Porter title and say “I Happen to Like Rachel York.”

But a great score, smart design (love Derek McLane’s art deco ship and Howell Binkley’s gumdrop lighting) and a swell cast aren’t enough to make Anything Goes truly set sail on the seas of musical theatre magic.

That’s where Kathleen Marshall comes in. First off, her choreography is endlessly inventive. Okay, we expect a giant tap number for the title song to bring down the first act curtain, but who thought that “Easy to Love” would turn into a romantic fantasy of Fred-and-Ginger proportions, or that “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” would stop the second act so thoroughly that I wondered if it could ever start again.

Marshall also helps with her snappy staging of the show’s problematic book, which has dogged it since the beginning of its life and now carries a grand total of six authors.

Having seen some of the earlier incarnations, I think I’m on safe ground crediting the most recent wordsmiths, Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, with making things so palatable.

It’s still the old saga about an ocean cruise gone wacky that it always was, with criminals, gun molls, Asian gamblers and WASP snobs, but it’s managed to emerge pretty funny.

They’ve tipped a lot of the jokes on their ear, so that while embracing their innate corniness, they manage to wink at them as well. Wait for the moment when the entire cast answer the question “What was that dog doing in the pool?” to know how high low comedy can get.

Space prohibits celebrating all the great farceurs in the company, but let’s pause to praise Josh Franklin, whose Billy Crocker sings and dances with ease, but also knows how to dispense 1930s wisecracking charm as well.

Then there’s Edward Staudenmayer who channels a young Michael Palin to superb effect in his characterization of Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, making a normally tiresome part one of the comic highlights of the show.

And I must also be allowed a bit of nationalistic pride and single out Stratford vet Jacqueline Burtney’s Purity as one of the most fetching creatures on a stage filled with attractive ensemble members of both genders.

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